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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The senior pastor of Citadel Global Community Church (CGCC), Tunde Bakare, has said he has not been officially communicated to as regards pruned down list of aspirants hence he is still in the race for the presidential ticket of the All Progressive Congress(APC).
Speaking on Channelstv live coverage of the APC special convention, Tuesday, Bakare said he had not been consulted by anyone in the party on the advise to step down and he won’t rely on television and radio announcements.
He said: “Courtesy demands that you tell me that, oh, your name is not there. I can’t listen Lalong.”
Asked if he had no communication whatsoever, he said: “Not at all. Not at all. Nobody has communicated with me. I won’t get information from television. I went to the Secretariat, paid my fees and then you cleared me. You have not said I was disqualified. Nobody has said that. And nobody had said, Would you step down? Yes, I believe in the supremacy of the party, but the party must have manners to tell people and say, Okay, you’ve gone through this in the interest of our party. We want ABC to step down. I don’t get information from Radio and Television.”
On if he has gone round the states to engage with the delegates, the cleric said: “The only promises are made to Nigerians from the day I started, till now is to lead a cutting edge nation. Do I have to scatter around?
“Yes, I got all the delegates and send them bulk SMS. I did robotic theme for them in different languages. There is no single delegate, not the ones that had been banned because when they were running all around, they were going to statutory delegates that cannot vote tonight. I didn’t go to them. I got the information, the booklet of all the delegates in every state and every local government and everyone got a message from me. And many responded.”
Asked aspirations of the delegates present at Eagles square to vote, Bakare said: “Well, they will vote for whoever they choose. Do you understand me? We must stop all these financial inducement. The dollar you gave is what determines. If delegates and citizens allow politicians to take advantage of them they will visit them around the election and they rub their treasury for the next four years. We want to bring change into that order. It’s not going to be so anymore.”
Asked if he will feel hard done by in any way when it is over, he said: “Not at all. As far as I’m concerned, I offered myself, I can apply to Channels television tomorrow to John and say John, I will like to work with you. He says bring your CV and the he says I’m sorry, I’m not taking you, I would not go to court over that. They cannot say there’s no alternative. You can see voters are dwindling every year because they don’t trust these same people with a lot of experience that brought us to this sorry state.”
Asked if he was dissatisfied the process thus far, he said: “Not really, every process will have its own challenges. It’s not easy to organize 23 adults, we are not little boys to say stay online. Everyone has an opinion, opinions are like noses, everybody has it. They all look different. So there’ll be a bit of shaking, the moment this is over whoever emerges we will support.”
On if he was confident that he will emerge, Bakare said: “Oh who knows. I carry grace, I carry favor, I carry God factor, give me the opportunity to speak to the delegates and let’s see what will happens.”
Asked if it was his faith background that was speaking, since he has often said he would become the 16th president, the cleric said: “I will be the 16th president and when that time comes number 15 must help number 16. Because I did a great deal to ensure number 15 is enthroned this country.”
Asked if he was speaking as a politician or a man of faith, he said: “Both. I don’t have bipolar. I’m a man of faith. But what I speak is full of faith.”
Reminded that the Vice President was also a man of faith who is also in the race and how he thinks that’s going to play out, he said: “Very easy. Remember when Judas Iscariot betrayed his master and hung on the cross they presented two people to 120 men and say God, you know the hearts of all men, and let one of this ones be chosen, where one was chosen, the other joined. If he wins, I will congratulate him and we will continue with the work. If I win, I expect him to do so. No challenge at all.”
